


Unexpected Places

by thesadchicken



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 10:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5824621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesadchicken/pseuds/thesadchicken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the title suggests, these are independent Garak/Bashir stories that take place in unexpected places.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Blue Planet

Blue skies. A single setting sun. White cloth against brown skin. Sleeves rolled up to bony elbows. The air was chilly –but then again, the air was always chilly on this blue planet.

Everything was so impossibly blue, from the horizon to the mountains to the windows of the small country house they were staying in. The sea was blue and Julian’s shorts were blue and so was the reflection of Garak’s eyes in the water that ran light and clear at his feet, twirling and curling gently around his claws and around beautiful brown toes. They were standing in a miniature version of what Garak would call a river; the water barely nipped at their ankles. And yet something about the place embedded in him an intense awareness of everything around him. He felt life move within the earth, flowing like a much greater river across the ground and through the grass, climbing into the tree trunks and branches, reaching the song of the birds and the humming of the insects and the gentle twinkle of the first evening star. Suddenly, Julian grabbed his hand. Garak turned towards him and shot him a questioning look. _What now?_

Julian smiled in response, squeezed the Cardassian’s hand and let go, motioning towards an old and timeworn ladder that rested against the white wall of the little country house. Garak frowned at it. Such an ancient device should be reserved for historical studies only, and it most certainly should be kept away from where Julian Bashir could reach it and _oh dear, he is using it_ , and he’s going to fall and break his neck and-

“Don’t look so terrified, Garak,” the infuriating man was laughing at him, and holding on to the old wooden thing with one hand, and it was shaking quite alarmingly. _How is he already half way up?_

“I am not,” Garak lied, walking straight towards the ladder and trying as best he could to hold it still; “But what exactly are you doing, Doctor?”

Julian climbed the last few steps and clung to the top of the wall, then slowly propped himself up on the flat roof. He grinned down at Garak. “I want to show you something, but you can’t see it from down there,” he replied, raising his voice to ensure being heard.

“I don’t trust this archaic contraption of yours,” Garak yelled back, eyeing said contraption suspiciously.

“Don’t worry, my family’s been using it for centuries,” came the untroubled reply, muffled by the distance between them; Julian had already turned his head towards the sky, observing the few stars that peeked shyly at the evening.

“That is exactly what I was afraid to hear,” Garak mumbled, but he stepped onto the ladder anyway, because he was weak and ridiculous and because he couldn’t say no to hazel eyes. The wretched thing wriggled wildly under his feet, and as much as he hated to admit it, he felt dizzy when he reached the top. _Age seems to be finally catching up with you, Elim_. Bah. Who cared, when the sky was turning to a deeper shade of blue, and Julian’s shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and his smile was so incredibly wide?

Garak let himself fall on the flat roof, taking the time to regain his breath, and Julian waited in silence –it was that sort of little agreement, the subtle but unambiguous settlement between them that made spending time together so easy. Of course, they disagreed and bickered and misunderstood each other rather often, and there were enough differences between them to keep them arguing all night, but the indefinable understanding they shared was always present, even within their arguments. _You are you, I am me_ , and they both accepted that. Their secret rule was particularly effective that day, Garak noticed, as he slowly pushed himself up and watched Julian wait in perfect, indifferent silence. The fact that his partner was being accommodating compelled him to shrug away the dizziness with renewed determination. It worked that way: bear with me, be indulgent, and I’ll find the strength to do whatever you ask. _I am a weak fool_ , but with foolishness came this agonizingly sweet happiness. _I think I rather enjoy being foolish_. 

“Right,” Julian nodded; “now we make ourselves comfortable and watch.”

He walked to the center of the roof and sat down, his legs stretched invitingly in front of him. Garak followed behind, taking in the view as he walked: clear skies of dark blue, a delicate string of stars leading down to the mountain-clad horizon, tall trees –‘palm trees’, Julian had said, ‘they’re typical of my region of the planet’- and a lingering streak of red light where the sun had disappeared into the sea. Although nothing like Cardassia, the place was breathtaking -exotic, exciting, and intense. Garak sat down next to his lover, then leaned in and brushed their cheeks against each other. The affectionate gesture was welcomed with a low hum of appreciation. The Cardassian slowly lowered himself until his head was resting in Julian’s lap. Slender fingers dug into his hair and tenderly ran through it. _Hmm, perfect_. Garak closed his eyes and pondered at the beauty of the universe. That his first trip to Earth should be with this charming young man, in these delightful circumstances… _Oh, what a happy fool I am_. The planet was vibrant and alive and very much like Julian. 

Garak opened his eyes and stared at the sky. “Well?” he asked, faking annoyance.

“Wait for it,” Julian reprimanded him. Garak felt a juvenile smile creep onto his face.

And so he waited, because Julian said so, because Julian wanted him to. A light breeze struck them, and while Julian seemed to savor it, Garak tried –and failed- to repress a shiver.

“Are you cold?” the younger man’s voice radiated concern.

“I might be. But it’s nothing that can’t be fixed-”

“You sneaky bastard! Get your hand out of there!” 

“Not until _you_ get _your_ hands out of _here_.”

“Oh, how did those get there?”

“I wonder.”

“Oooh yes –Garak! Why did you stop?”

“I thought you said you wanted my hand _out_ of there?”

“You’re exasperating beyond belief.”

“I’m sorry my dear, I should have known better. It is common knowledge that people make other people risk their lives climbing unimaginably old ladders to sit and do nothing.”

“Shut up.”

Their lips met, their fingers linked, their chests heaved; they gasped for breath, foreheads locked, ridged chufa against smooth skin.

“Why did you bring me here, Julian?” Garak asked, curiosity getting the best of him. His question was met with a toothy grin and a flicker of unconcealed pride in hazel eyes.

“Have you ever seen the moon rise on Earth?” Julian whispered, pointing behind his partner’s back at the horizon.

Garak turned around and gaped at the sight. He had, in fact, never seen Earth’s satellite. The sheer otherworldliness of it was almost enough to make his eyes water and to send shivers crawling up his spine. It looked so small, so fragile, hovering over the mountain tops. Opaque, translucent, white and barely shining in the dying day. _What a delicate little rock_. Garak felt himself float. He had seen his fair share of wonders, but witnessing the rising of moons on alien planets for the first time was always a dreamlike vision. There was an ethereal quality to the moment, something oddly humbling about it that left Garak feeling… plain and simple. 

Two long arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders and an impatient mouth pecked at his ear ridges. “What do you think?” Julian’s smug intonation had an expectant edge to it. _I think I’ll let him wait a little_. But that was cruel, the man had been nervous about the whole trip, and he was anxiously hoping his home planet wouldn’t offend Garak’s Cardassian tastes. _Be creative, Elim, say something that’ll make him happy_. Anything but the truth, of course.

“It is quite a sight-” he started dreamingly, then turned in his lover’s arms and nudged their noses against each other; “but I still think I prefer this.” 

Plunging forward, Garak kissed Julian, and Julian kissed him back. _Oh well, telling the truth once in a while never hurt anyone, I suppose_.


	2. The Silver Pools

The sun was pleasantly caressing his scales, and it was warm, blissfully warm, perhaps as warm as his lover’s light-hearted laugh. Both were flowing through the morning and around Garak with blatant surrender, no clouds veiling the light, no curtains shrouding the glow. Yes, his lover’s smile was very much like Trill’s gentle sun –“we call him Zaydoo,” Miss Dax had once said, a wistful gleam in her eye. There had even been a subtle longing in her voice, and the bitter-sweet sting one felt when describing the wonders of one’s home planet.

Zaydoo was well-known throughout the Quadrant for the brevity of his discreet winter visits and the pleasantness of his lazy summer presence – _and indeed_ , Garak mused, _he is absolutely charming_. And he was so very warm, his touch a fiery caress on the Cardassian’s ridges, and he was beautifully sprawled on the grass beside him, and Garak was no longer thinking of Zaydoo but of Julian Bashir, who was staring at him through lowered eyelids. ‘ _My lover’s eyes are nothing like the sun’_ , hadn’t a Human poet once said that? Well, Garak felt infinitely sorry for the fellow, because at that moment hazel irises were beaming rays of fervent sunlight at him, and he felt warmed to the bone. Then a kiss, long and slow and passionate, landed on his parted lips. Drawing the heat closer to him, Garak slipped his arms around Julian’s waist and sighed against his mouth. Long fingers glided across his back, gently scraping his scales, sliding upwards to stroke his neck-ridges. Julian tasted like fruit and sunlight and new beginnings. He was pliant and yet demanding in Garak’s arms, shuddering under the older man’s gentle touches, but leaning in to deepen the kiss as his fingers dug into black hair. He was perfect, _so perfect_ , and Garak was warm and comfortable and free falling… _such a pleasant way to fall…_

Julian broke the kiss and pushed himself up on his feet, and Garak groaned in protest. “Oh, come back,” he whined, allowing himself to bask in the moment, indulging in pleasure, _please my dear, come back and free fall with me…_

But Julian apparently had other plans. By the time Garak willed himself into a half-sitting position and peered over the grass, propped onto his elbows, the young man was already splashing around in the pool, water rippling from his brow and sliding across his back, making his skin glisten gold and silver under Zaydoo’s gaze. They had chosen this particular pool for its isolation; it was one of the only natural ponds on Trill not to be crowded with tourists. They had found a comfy place at its flank and had let themselves be seduced by the softness of the grass. And now, just when the sun had started running sizzling spirals of heat over their bodies, Julian was withdrawing. Hardly fair. Blame it on Human physiology, incapable of appreciating a healthy rise in temperature. The doctor looked almost relieved, now that he was hugged by the water. He arched his back and swung his head backwards, baring his neck to Garak’s hungry eyes; oh, how he longed to drop soft kisses onto the tender flesh there... Julian’s naked form was outlined under the shaky water, delicate and lean. His long legs reached forward and wiggled their toes out of the water. He was floating over the silver pool, grinning up at Zaydoo.

“Come on, Garak,” he yelled to the sky, unwilling to move from his comfortable position, _lazy thing_ ; “the water isn’t that cold!”

 _Hmm_. Staying nice and dry was tempting, but joining a delightful and eager and very nude young man in an alien pool was most definitely impossible to refuse. So Garak stood up, walked out of the grass and onto the rocky contour of the pond, and then dipped a claw in the water. _Argh!_

“It’s freezing!” he exclaimed, pulling his arms over his body in a near-shiver.

Julian sighed exasperatedly. He abandoned his spot at the center of the pool and swam over to where Garak was standing, glaring at the treacherously cold water.

“Look, you’ll get used to it. If there were anything dangerous about this, I would’ve told you. Trust me, I’m a doctor,” the young man smiled tolerantly.

Garak aimed to please, he really did, but the water was just too cold… he took a careful step forward, his claws clinking on the white rocks. Maybe if he bent forward and slipped his legs into the water first instead of diving in, it would be easier… he reached out to steady himself on the edge of the pool, _there_ , good, and now just a little bit lower, but–

He slipped. He lost his balance and slipped, falling from an awkward crouch to a great splash right into the pool. And this was another, rather unpleasant way of falling. He felt himself hit the water before he even realized what was happening. Cold, too cold, too sudden, but then strong arms wrapped themselves around his chest, holding him just under the armpits, and lifted him out of the water. He coughed once or twice, ignoring the impulse to spit or gag, and looked around him hazily. Julian was staring at him, concerned and surprised and… was that a hint of guilt in his eyes?

“Elim, are you alright?” the young man asked, tilting his head slightly to the side, as if he were trying to read a particularly complex answer written on Garak’s face.

Well, Garak would give him a much simpler one. “Yes,” he shook his head slowly, feeling the water dripping from his hair; “just a bit shaken, I’m afraid.”

Julian’s frown only deepened. “You’re not injured, are you?”

“No.” His ego had taken a few blows and his dignity was bruised, but other than that he was fine, and his heart was fluttering at the way Julian’s expression slipped from concern to relief.

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, pulling Garak close until he could rest his chin on a ridged shoulder; “God, I’m so sorry.”

 _Mm, I could melt in his arms_. And the silly man was _sorry_! Garak wanted to say it was worth the fall, it was worth a thousand falls. But that wouldn’t be much fun, would it?

“I trusted you, and look where it got me,” he sighed dramatically, his tone reproachful, but his arms gently folding around Julian’s body.

“Serves you right,” came the equally reproachful and equally playful response, and it still amazed Garak how easily they could slip from one mood to the other; “you should’ve known better than to trust me.”

“Hmm, well, I will keep that in mind.”

“Good,” Julian pulled away just enough to bump his nose onto the Cardassian’s eye-ridges; “there may be hope for you yet, Mister Garak.”

The young man really was too delightful –how could one resist him? The subtle change of positions, the not so subtle nostalgic nonsense, the small smile that held layers of meaning… Julian knew how to write between the lines, and Garak knew how to read. Wasn’t it the other way around, one upon a time? Oh, but he was charming either way, and this was all so refreshingly new! Garak brought his hands up and cupped Julian’s face.

“How’s the water now?” the doctor purred, nudging Garak’s cheek.

“It’s perfect,” there, end of conversation, teasing is nice but he wanted less talking and more touching now. Julian’s lips were a mere icek'samlan away…

“Really? I thought you said it was freezing?”

 _Argh, exasperating_. Garak pulled him close and kissed him hard, and for a moment Julian seemed to soften into the embrace. But then he pulled away, again…

“Not so bad after all, these silver pools, eh?”

“Would you please stop talking for a minute?” Garak rolled his eyes, and Julian’s grin broadened.

“You’ll have to persuade me,” Julian hummed dreamingly.

“With pleasure,” and that was it, no more talking, just the whistling of the water swirling around them and the almost inaudible brush of lips against lips and Julian’s needy moans… and Garak was free falling…


	3. The Risian Rollercoaster Ride

Julian closed his eyes and a smile crept onto his face. The sea was roaring downhill, calling for him, coaxing him in. The sand was stuck between his toes; he wiggled them just to feel it slide free. He could almost taste the salt water on the tip of his tongue. The thought made him want to laugh; _you’re no Cardassian, Julian_. The sun was playing tricks of light behind his closed eyelids. A shadow moved next to him, _now there’s someone who literally_ can _taste the salt in the air._ He opened his eyes slowly, lazily, and looked over to Garak.

“What could be better than this?” he said, and he felt like he was radiating joy and enthusiasm and sheer excitement.

Garak stared back at him dubiously.

“Oh come on,” Julian laughed, squeezing the older man’s hand; “It’ll be fun, I promise.”

Garak was clearly unimpressed.

~

“You can’t be serious.”

“My dear, I have never been more serious about anything in my entire life.”

Garak was sitting on a towel, bare claws reflexively digging into the sand, and he was holding a PADD and pointedly staring at it. Julian crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. _You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you_.

“What’s the point of visiting Risa if you’re not even going to swim?”

“I, for one, see no point in visiting Risa,” he spat the name out as if it burnt his mouth to say it; “swimming or no swimming.”

Julian huffed impatiently. He wasn’t in the mood for this, he really wasn’t. What he wanted right now was to ride a few waves, feel the soft seaweed cling to his feet, dive in the clear blue water over and over again until his fingers were wrinkled and his eyes burnt… Not convince a stubborn Cardassian to enjoy Risa. _Really, who needs persuasion to have fun on_ Risa _?_ Huh. The answer to that was Worf –as proven in the past. An amusing thought.

“Now if it’s all the same to you, I would like to catch up on my reading,” Garak added, reclining onto his towel and holding his PADD up snobbishly.

 _Hmm, I could compare him to Worf; that would certainly annoy him_. But there had to be a more subtle approach. Teasing worked well with Garak when it was two-sided. A lot like tennis, that teasing game of theirs. But in this particular situation, bribery was much more likely to succeed.

“If you’re nice, I might show you _jamaharon,_ later…” Ouch. That sounded much better in his head.

Garak pushed a long-suffering sigh. “Later, my dear,” he said dismissively.

Well. One must know when to accept defeat, mustn’t one? Garak had let an over-enthusiastic Julian drag him to Risa and was now making him pay for it. Fair enough. And yet Julian had a sinking feeling that he wouldn’t be able to ignore it, even if he wanted to. There _had_ to be a way to get Garak to enjoy their little vacation. He’d think about it –whether he tried to or not, he’d end up thinking about it. In the meanwhile, a quick swim would do him good.

Julian turned away, hovered for a moment over the possibility of a ‘please’, decided against it, and resumed his slow walk towards the water. His toes were the first to hit the waves; _oh, that’s cold_. He knelt down and scooped up some water, then spread it over his chest and shoulders. _Better_. He walked in until he was immersed all the way to the hips. The sea was cerulean blue, alive with the sound of tourists laughing and splashing around, and the sky was clear and the vegetation was hugging the shore from every corner. He plunged into the water and out, several times, relishing the feeling of it rippling against his skin. How could one snub _this_?

He lay floating on his back, facing the generous Risian sun, when he bumped into a strong –although rather pudgy– body. _Ha! Finally changed your mind, have you Garak?_ He straightened up, mentally revising the downpour of smug remarks he was about to shoot his partner’s way, but _hey, that’s not Garak at all, that’s_ –

“Jada?”

The Bolian turned at the mention of her name, and _God, yes, it’s her!_ And she had changed, he even registered a few worrying symptoms: loss of weight, drooping of earlobes… Her blue skin looked somewhat paler, too.

“Julian Bashir! I can’t believe it!” she exclaimed heatedly, grabbing him by the shoulders to hug him close, and Julian smiled at that; _still the same old Jada_.

“How’ve you been?” he asked breathlessly, pressed hard into her massive frame.

“I’ve had my ups and downs,” she gave him a last squeeze before pulling away; “but let me look at you.”

She gave him a long, swooping look, and her smile broadened. “Wait until you see who’s with me,” she winked at him.

Julian saw it coming, but he couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped him when Jada gestured towards a very familiar Edosian, just a few meters to the right. Their tall silhouette shone bright orange against the clear water. They were scanning the shore for something, two hands resting on their hips, the third covering their eyes from the sun.

“Yo, Elinax!” Jada called out to them.

They spun around on their three feet with extraordinary speed. Julian watched as they squinted, examining him with their beady yellow eyes, one of their hands clutching a white pearl necklace at their neck. And then they recognized him, and dashed towards him, and before he knew it, Julian was being held by three skinny arms.

“Bashir, you insufferable little pest,” they whispered into his neck.

Julian let out a breathy laugh, closed his eyes and brought his arms up to embrace Elinax. “You kept the necklace,” he noticed, a bit too fondly.

Elinax pulled away. “Mm. You didn’t.”

“How are you?” Julian countered hastily, sliding his hand along Elinax’s left arm.

“I’m fine,” they nodded, grabbing Julian’s hand and squeezing it, “but I’ve missed you.”

 _God, and it has been a while, hasn’t it_ … Elinax had aged well –or rather, they hadn’t aged at all. They looked every bit as young and cheery as they had years ago. Julian stared at them warmly, and they stared back for a few moments, then Jada coughed. “I hate to interrupt, but we have company.”

Julian followed her gaze to where a shirtless Garak was storming his way towards them, a treacherously sweet smile plastered on his face. He was wearing nothing but his Cardassian-style skirtlike swimming kilt –which, against all odds, was very intimidating. _Makes him look like some sort of predator_ , Julian shivered at the thought. _Stop it_.

“Oh, yes,” he started, letting go of Elinax as the Cardassian reached their level; “Um. Jada, Elinax, this is my partner, Garak.”

Garak bowed slightly, smiled politely, and – _what?_ – slid an arm around Julian’s waist possessively. _Is he drawing circles on my hip with his thumb?_

“Jada and ‘Nax are old friends,” Julian explained further, trying to ignore his lover’s sudden keenness on showing affection –and in public!

“Back from the Academy days,” Elinax added warmly, their eyes half-closed and lost in memory. Julian thought he felt Garak tense up at his side, but surely it was his imagination playing tricks on him… right?

Jada was staring at Garak confusedly, but snapped out of it in time to interrupt a potentially uncomfortable silence. “It’s really nice to meet you, Mister Garak.”

“Please, just Garak. Plain, simple Garak,” he said sweetly, and Julian almost chocked on air.

“You guys want to join us for lunch?” Elinax asked, “We’re having Risian salad, and Jada’s making her famous Bolian meat pies.”

“Really?” Julian turned towards Jada, who wriggled her eyebrows at him; “well then, I think we have no choice.”

~

The sun was filtering through the thick leaves surrounding the shore, reaching them although they had tried to find shelter, but they were too busy having lunch to pay attention to it.

Jada was gesturing wildly, holding up her meat pie and poking a finger into it. “And bam. The comet hit us before we even knew it. We were blind and deaf and at the edge of the Romulan neutral zone, so you can imagine what we thought was happening.”

“You thought you were being attacked,” Julian smiled, his eyes wide and laughing as he watched the Bolian tell her tale.

She nodded. “And the captain was in absolutely no condition to carry on, so she looked at me –Oh I will never forget that moment. Our first officer was unconscious and pretty much everyone else on the bridge was scared out of their wits. Captain Singh turned in her chair, looked me straight in the eye and said: ‘Lieutenant Jada, she’s all yours’. And she lost consciousness, and I was left in charge.”

Elinax reached over Julian’s thighs and grabbed another pie. “I’ve heard this story at least ten times now,” they whispered to him, and Julian chuckled.

“I ordered our gunner to fire. Blindly,” she held up a finger and wiggled it in the air, imitating phaser sounds; “we all held our breaths for a few seconds.”

Elinax shook their head at Jada and leaned over to offer Julian a piece of their pie. Julian smiled indulgently and opened his mouth to receive the food from the Edosian’s hands, blushing slightly at the memories the gesture brought back.

“What do you think happened next, Garak?” Jada asked, and they all turned towards the Cardassian, who looked rather unwilling to participate in the story.

“You destroyed the comet and flew back to Earth to receive your well-earned reward, some root beer and a medal?”

Elinax snickered and Jada crossed her arms over her chest. “Man, you really have a low opinion of us Starfleet officers, haven’t you?”

“It’s not you that I disapprove of, Miss Jada.”

“Ah-huh. You don’t like Starfleet? This is going to be interesting.”

Elinax threw all three of their arms in the air. “Oh no, please don’t start talking politics with Jada.”

“Yes, let’s –let’s drop the subject for now, alright?” Julian winced.

“Very well, my dear,” Garak sighed, picking up his plate from his lap and resuming his meal.

Jada made an indignant noise. “Wait a second Garak, why are you so compliant? We’ll talk about whatever we want whenever we want,” she stuck her tongue out at Julian and Elinax.

The Edosian rolled their eyes. “I don’t know why I put up with her.”

“She makes excellent pies,” Julian offered teasingly, but Jada was already pressing Garak for answers and daring him to come up with an argument to validate his dislike of Starfleet.

“It’s been too long, Julian,” Elinax said, and they sounded oddly nervous.

“I know,” Julian nodded, looking over at them affectionately; “We should get together more often.”

“Are you happy?” the Edosian asked a bit too suddenly, as if they had been waiting for the occasion to say it.

“Of course I am,” Julian frowned, _what are you really asking?_

Elinax’s central hand reached out, traced a line from Julian’s stomach up to his heart and pressed gently there. _Oh, I remember this_.

“Then I’m happy for you,” they smiled, their yellow eyes meeting Julian’s, their fingers stretching over his skin. _The Edosian Maxal_. There was nothing quite like it in any human culture Julian knew of; it was some sort of salute, as Elinax had explained years ago, meant to convey a combination of gratitude, longing and affection.

~

Julian stretched on the sand and let his eyelids drop for a second. He sighed happily. He had found a place in the shade –the sun was fine, but it had been burning his skin all day. Jada and Elinax had left shortly after lunch to pack, promising to keep in touch. And now Julian was finally alone with Garak, and–

“Garak?” Julian asked, opening his eyes and looking over to where his partner was sitting, facing away from him, eyes presumably fixated on the sea.

“Mm?” came the quiet response.

“You’ve barely said a word since Jada and ‘Nax left,” Julian tilted his head to the side, squinting at his lover as if to read him.

“Hm.”

 _Argh, stubborn old dragon_. “What’s wrong?” Julian pushed himself up and sat next to Garak, peering over to see his face.

The Cardassian’s eyes were closed, his face a cold mask of indifference, and that in itself was revealing. _He’s upset about something, and I think I know what it is_.

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous,” Julian tried to laugh it off.

Garak flung his eyes open and turned towards him. “Is there any reason I should be?”

 _Ouch_. “Well, um, no, but–”

“Elinax did seem rather interested in you, but I suppose I shouldn’t read too much into it.”

Julian sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Look, we were involved at some point, but–.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Garak sniffed, looking away.

“–but it was years ago,” Julian continued, ignoring the sting in his partner’s voice; “We’ve both moved on.”

 _I can’t believe we’re having this conversation!_ If there was one thing Julian had thought Garak incapable of, it was jealousy. And he was annoyed that it had to happen, that they had to go through this. He thought they both knew better than to take that particular turn: after all, it had taken them time and effort to reach their current state of mutual trust, and the road had been long and trying. He stared at Garak, almost imploringly. _Please, let’s forget about it_. He watched as impenetrable blue eyes turned soft, _phew, thank goodness_.

“I know,” the older man said apologetically.

“Good,” Julian sighed with relief and reclined on the sand, arms behind his head; “can we just relax now?”

Garak accepted the invitation and lay down beside his lover. Julian snuggled closer, placing a kiss on Garak’s jaw.

“I do believe I like your friends.”

 _Ugh, what now?_ “Glad to hear it,” Julian replied uncertainly.

“They’re polite and clever… and awfully young.”

 _So that’s it. That’s what this is all about_. He had to admit he was somewhat taken aback. Garak had never hosted any insecurity before. Come to think of it, it was almost reassuring, that he was prone to the same feelings of unease that Julian had experienced at the beginning of their relationship. Not that the idea of Garak comparing himself to Julian’s younger friends reassured him in any way. Truthfully, it made him feel guilty: had he been too negligent towards his partner lately? Hadn’t he conveyed his feelings well enough?

“Not that young,” Julian started carefully, _must be prudent with Garak, better not ruffle those delicate feathers_ , “Jada is two or three years older than me, actually.”

He tried not to wince at Garak’s eye roll. _Note to self: bite your tongue, think twice and count to ten before speaking_.

“And, and besides–”

“Julian, I think your skin has gotten darker.”

“It’s called tanning, it happens to humans when we stay too long in the sun –anyway, what I’m trying to say is that–”

“It really does become you, my dear,” Garak purred, pulling Julian closer.

“Thank you, but–”

Garak placed a hand on Julian’s stomach, the other sliding under him to squeeze his hips, and he left a light kiss on his lover’s cheek. “You smell so good…”

“Stop it, you ass,” Julian laughed, half-heartedly batting the Cardassian’s wandering hands away. _He really can’t just get straight to the point, can he?_ Sometimes it was like speaking a whole different language. But luckily, Julian was fluent in Garak, and he knew exactly what the message meant: ‘No need to fondle me, I know I’m safe, I was being stupid, leave it alone and I will be fine’. _As you wish, old dragon._

Garak hummed. “You mentioned something called _jamaharon_ earlier?”

“I might have,” the younger man smirked.

“What is it?”

Julian suppressed a giggle. “I’ll show you.”

~

Over the beach, flickering in the afternoon sky, a holographic advertisement proclaimed: “Everybody loves Risa.”

Even Elim Garak.


End file.
